Geology
of Cieneguilla
Creek
drainage
basininsouthwest
Colfax
County,
NewMexico
byClayT Smith,Geoscience
Department,
Newlvlexico
Tech,Socorro,
NM and
Robert
M Colpitts,
Jr , StaffGeologist,
W K Summers,
andAssociales,
Inc , Socorro,
Nl\il
Regional setting
The Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin occupiesthe southern two-thirds of the Moreno
Valley in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of
southwestColfax County, New Mexico. Moreno Valley is part of a long north-south
topographic and structural depressionthat extends southward from the Taos County line
almost to Mora, New Mexico. The area of
CieneguillaCreek drainagebasin is 75.2 sq mi.
Highways US-64 and NM-38 provide accessto
this ranchingand recreationarea.
Altitudes in the CieneguillaCreek drainage
basin range from 8,194 ft along the valley
floor to 11,086 ft on Agua Fria Peak; maximum relief is 2,892 ft. Climate in the valley is
temperate-dry with average annual precipitation between 15 and 20 inches. Both Pteistocene and recent erosion are responsiblefor the
present valley form. Clark (1966) recognized
three terrace levels within the valley: The
highest terraces, represented by the Valley of
the Utes, are remnants of the Broad Valley
Stage. The second or intermediate stage is
represented by the dissected terraces in the
southern part of the valley. The third and
lowest terraces near Cieneguilla Creek are indistinguishablefrom modern streamterraces.
Cieneguilla Creek drains northward from
its headwaters on the west flank of Agua Fria
Peak to Eagle Nest Lake-then into Cimarron
Creek, a tributary of the Canadian River.
Numerous tributaries drain the upper valleys
and peaks into Cieneguilla Creek. Approximately half the tributary drainageways contain perennial streams; the remainder contain
ephemeral streams that flow during spring
runoff. The perennial streams are fed by small
bogs (cienegas)and springs that occur on the
mountain flanks. Other springs occur on the
valley floor or near its margins. Local ranchers have developed a number of springs for
livestock watering and/ or domestic water sup-
lower reaches caused by downcutting in the
soft alluvium of the old valley floor. Tributaries on the east side of the valley have both
dendritic and rectangular patterns caused by
crMaf?r?sN C A N Y O N W i L D L I F E
r.b;
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C o n t o c l ;d o s h e d w h e r e
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plv.
Tributaries on the west side of the valley
have a dendritic drainage pattern in their upper reaches caused by easterly dipping Pennsylvanian strata, and a linear pattern in their
Tertiary volcanic rocks and variously dipping
Permian-Pennsylvanian strata.
In the Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin,
Precambrian, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian,
Permian, Triassic, and Tertiary rocks crop out
along the margins of the basin; Quaternary
and Holocene alluvial deposits cover the central portion of the basin.
The basin is broken and segmented by numerous thrust, normal, and transverse faults
that expose the Precambrian in the northern
part of the basin and the Sangrede Cristo Formation (Permian-Pennsylvanian) and the
Magdalena Group (Pennsylvanian) in the central and southern parts. Fig. I shows the
overall geology and structural relationships in
the basin.
/",
,r'
7
Strike ond dip of stroto
Slrike ond dip of verlicol beds
F o u l t ;d o s h e dw h e r e o p p r o x i m o l e i d o l l e d w h e r ec o n c e o l e d
Strike ond dip of foliofions
U = u p f h r o w n; D = d o w n l h r o w n
T h r u s t f o u l l ; d o s h e dw h e r e
o p p r o r i m o l e ib o r b s l o w o r d
Slump block
overlhrusl olole.
FICURE I -GEolocrc v,a,pop CrEuncurlle Cnepx onetNAcEBAsrN.
7
Mernops AND pREvrous wonx-Detailed
') property maps
(l " = 500' and I " :2,M
supplied by Coe and Van Loo Consulting
Engineers, Inc., were used as the base for the
geologic map. In addition to low and high altitude aerial photos, additional stratigraphic
and structural information was interpreted
from bore holes drilled and tested for water
supply, as well as seismic profile interpretations of the lower part of the valley prepared
by Charles Reynolds and Associates,Inc.
Ray and Smith (1941) and Smith and Ray
(1943) discussed the geology of the Moreno
Valley and the neighboring Cimarron Mountains. Wanek and Read (1956) briefly studied
the area and suggested various forms of
faulting as the origin for the Moreno Valley.
Robinson and others (1964) described and
mapped the Philmont Scout Ranch immediately east of Cieneguilla Creek drainage basin.
Clark (1966) mapped the Eagle Nest Quadrangle immediately north of the area covered.
Goodnight (1973) mapped the geology of the
central Cimarron Range.
Stratigraphy
rocks crop
PnecavsRIaN-Precambrian
out in the northern part of the basin north of
the Saladon Creek Fault. South of the fault
they are buried by younger rocks to depths
ranging from 3,000 ft beneath the uplifted
margins of the valley to as much as 13,000 ft
in the depressedcentral area. (Table l)
PERIOD
Quolernory
ond Terliory
t
Teriiory
t
Permion
DESCRIPTION
V o l l e yf i l l o n d
,n ?r
R e c e n f o l l u v i u ml v ' ,
C o m p l e x l y i n l e r b e d d e ds o n d s ,
g r o v e l s ,s i l l s o n d c l o y s .
(Tb)
Dork-groy,dense,vesiculorbosoll.
Cryslol luft
(Tct)
Lighl-groy to while oshflow luff
w i l h p h e n o c r y s l so f s o n o d i n e . o n d
biolile.
'g:'.ij:;:
ighl -groy lo buff sondslones
(Esr) Lond
limeslone pebble conglomeroles.
Tar sands, Santa Rosa, New Mexico
Earthquakeactivity, 1949-1961
P o t a s hi n N e w M e x i c o
Cityot Rocks
(lPm)
M e t o s e d i m e n l s( p € m )
Precombrion
G r o n i i eg n e i s s
TABLE l-GBxenet-rzsD
(p€sS)
9OO'
r IOOO'
P r o t e r o z o i ct e c t o n i c so f N e w M e x i c o
R e d R o c kt a l c d e p o s i t s
G e o l o g ya n d p a l e o n t o l o g yT, o r t u g a sM t n .
, hinle
D e p o s i t i o n ael n v i r o n m e n t sC
Formation
New A4exfic@
GEOLOGV
.
andSeruice
Science
r aq,
Volume 2, Number
C o m p l e x l yi n l e r b e d d e dr e d - b r o w n ,
g r o y i o g r o y- g r e e n ,p u r p l e t, o n , o n d
buff sondstones,sillslones,sholes, r3400'
l e n l i c u l o rl i m e s l o n e so n d c h o n n e l
conglomeroles.
Interbeddedblock fo groy sonds t o n e s rs i l t s l o n e s s, h o l e so n c l
limestones.
r 4300'
I n f e r b e d d e db l o c k l o b u f f s o n d slones, silislones, sholesrlimeslones
ond occosionol conglomerole
slri n9ers.
x ar.l
New Mexico Geology
'
E o s o l o r k o s i c c o n g l o m e r o f eo v e r loin by silicif ied lirireslone,cherl
ond sondslone.
25.5'
I n l e r b e d d e dq u o r l z i l e o n d m u s c o vife schisl.
ZOOO'+
Red to pink gronitic inlrusive.
srRATrcRApHrc coLUMN. CrsNscutLLl
p. 4
p. 6
g. 7
p. 10
C O M I N GS O O N :
.
.
.
o
Edirol.
sorlfltof,tonc'i
t" tenr.l
Mississippion ulssissiooion( M )
f
February1980
A L S OI N T H I SI S S U E :
O'-425'+
Eosoll flows
Pennsylvonion
{
grained, arkosic sand. The basal conglomerate is overlain by very hard, gray-to-brown
bedded chert and silicified limestone. The
overlying limestone breccia that Clark (1966)
reports immediately northwest of the basin is
not observed here. The chert and silicified
limestone are overlain by light-brown, slightly
crossbedded,medium-grained sandstone with
clay and calcium carbonate cement. Total
thickness of the Mississippian rocks is 25.5 ft.
rocks,
PetNsvl-veNIAN-Pennsylvanian
unconformably overlying the Mississippian
and Precambrian, belong to the Magdalena
group. Miller and others (1963) subdivide
them into the Flechado Formation (Morrowan
to lower Des Moinesian) and the Alamitos
Formation (Middle to Upper Des Moinesian).
South of Saladon Creek fault the Flechado
Formation crops out in the southwestern
quadrant of the basin. North of the Saladon
T H T C K N E S( fSr )
FORMATION
{
Triossic
Precambrian rocks consist of metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, granite gneiss, and
migmatites. The metasediments are predominantly quartzite with accessory muscovite,
magnetite, and hornblende; and muscovite
schist with accessorychlorite, ferro-tremolite,
and sillimanite. Outcrops display apparent
relict bedding. The granite gneiss is predominantly orthoclase and quartz with accessory
biotite. The biotite is partially segregated
within the granite gneiss imparting a pseudofoliation. Migmatite is confined to zones between the granite gneiss and the quartzite of
the metasediments.
The metasediments and granite gneiss are
assigned to the Precambrian on the basis of
correlation with rocks of similar lithology,
metamorphic grade, and known age relationships in other parts of the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains (Callender and others, 1976). The
granite gneiss intruded the metasediments,
perhaps after some metamorphism. Erosion
prior to Mississippian time created the surface
on which the overlying Mississippian sediments were deposited.
Mlsstsstpprnt-Mississippian rocks crop out
in the basin north of Saladon Creek fault,
occurring as isolated erosional remnants lying unconformably upon Precambrian granite
gneiss. These Mississippian rocks consist of
a basal arkosic conglomerate, silicified limestone, chert, and light-gray, crossbeddedsandstone. The basal conglomerate is brown and
consists of cobbles of granite gneiss and
quartzite in a matrix of poorly sorted, coarse-
Cneex nnelNecr
1, February 198O
Neila MacDonald
published quarterly bY
New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources
lnstitute of Mining & Tcchnology
New
Mexico
a division of
BOARD OF REGENTS
Ex Officio
Bruce King, Governor o! New Muico
Lconard Delayo, Sapeilnlendent of Public INlruction
AppoiDted
wilf iam G. Abbott, 196l-1979,Hobbs
Judy Floyd, Secry/Treas, 1911- 1981, Los C ruces
Owen Lopez, Pres, 1911-1981,Sanro Fe
Dave Rice, 1912-1983, Corlsbad
Steve Torres, l 1-1919, Socoto
New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology
Kenneth W. Ford
President. .
New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mincral Resources
Frank E. Kottlowski
Direclot
Georges Austin
DepulyDirector.
Robert w. Kelley
. . , , ..
Bureau Edilor-Aeologisl
Subscriptiorc: Issu€d quarterly, February, May, August,
November; subscription pric€ $3 oolyr.
Editoriol matler: Contributions of possible material for conare w€lcome.
in future issues of NMc
sidqation
Materials cannot be returncd unless accompanied by
postage
inquiris
to
Neila
MacDona.ld,
Addrcss
return
Editor New Mexico Geology, New Mexico Bureau of
Mines & Mineral Resources,Socorro, NM 87801.
1,5@
Cirdlqtion:
Priurer. Univ€rsity of New Mexico Printing Plant
slsttt
Creek fault the Flechado occurs as erosional
remnantsunconformablyoverlyingMississippian rocks. The Flechadois only partially exposedin the basin;someof our knowledgeof
the formation comesfrom areasimmediately
westof the basin.
The Flechadoconsistsof interbeddedsandstones,conglomerates,siltstones,and some
limestones.The sandstones
are light to dark
brown, mediumto coarsegrained,arkosicto
feldspathic, and locally conglomeratic. They
are medium to thin bedded and friable to
hard, dependingon the degreeof induration,
the cementbeingclay with somecalciumcarbonate. The conglomerates(light gray with
quartzitepebbles)ocfine- to medium-grained
cur as thin-beddedstringerswithin the sandstones.Beds rangein thicknessfrom several
inchesto about 2.5 ft and displaypoor lateral
continuity. The siltstonesare light brown to
brown, slightly sandy to sandy, micaceous,
and often feldspathic.The cementis clay and
calciumcarbonatein nearlyequalproportions
exceptnearlimestonebedswherethe cementis
primarily calciumcarbonate.The limestones,
black,fossiliferous,and
thin- to thick-bedded,
argillaceous,are locally nodular and discontinuous,especiallyin thin-beddedzonesin the
lowerpart of the section.
The Flechado Formation grades upward
into the overlying Alamitos Formation. The
contactis placedat the baseof a prominent
limestonecontainingthe brachiopodAnthracospirifer rockymontanzs. Thickness is approximately4,200ft.
The Alamitos Formation crops out south of
Saladon Creek fault. Exposuresoccur in a
relatively narrow zone west of Cieneguilla
Creek.East of the outcrops,the Alamitos occurs as subcropbeneathalluvial cover in the
westernpart ofthe basinfloor. North and east
of the valley fill the Alamitos occursbeneath
the Sangrede CristoFormation.
The Alamitos consistsof interbeddedsandstones, siltstones, limestones, and shales;
lithologyis similar to the underlyingFlechado
Formation. Individual bedsare clearlytraceable for several miles; the limestonesand
numeroussandstones
are the most ptominent
layers.
The contactbetweenthe Alamitos Formation and the overlyingSangrede Cristo Formation is transitionaland is placedat the first
red bed. Thicknessrangesbetween4,300and
4,500ft.
Penurelq-PENNSyLvANTAN-The
Sangrede
Cristo Formation, partially concealed by
valley fill as well as Tertiary volcanicrocks,
crops out south of SaladonCreek fault and
conformablyoverliesthe Pennsylvanian
sediments.Severalboreholespenetratedparts of
the Sangrede Cristo, intersectingconglomerates, sandstones,
sandy siltstones,and micaceousclayeyshales.
The conglomeratesare light gray to brownish gray, very sandy, and contain very fine to
coarse-grained pebbles of Precambrian
quartzite, schist, and granite gneissas well as
Pennsylvanianlimestone and sandstonepebbles. Bedsare lenticular channelfillings ranging from 5 to 40 ft wide and from 3 to 20 ft
thick, forming isolatedprominentoutcropson
steephillsides.
The thick- to very thin beddedand locally
are light gray to
flaggy to fissile sandstones
magentato brown, very coarseto fine grained,
arkosicto feldspathic,slightlymicaceous,and
locally conglomeratic,silty, and shaly. The
siltstonesare gray and greenishgray to red
brown and maroon, slightly sandy to sandy,
slightly micaceousto micaceous,and slightly
calcareous.
Theyare thin beddedto fissileand
contain brownish-gray to bright, blood-red,
lenticular nodular, micritic limestonebeds.
The siltstonesform very poor outcrops and
are exposedonly in roadcutsand somestream
culs.
The shalesare greengray to brownish red
and magenta, slightly micaceousto micaceous,and are fissile to thin bedded.They
form slopeswithout outcrops.The shalebeds
appear to be extremelyvariable and grade
laterally into siltstoneand sandstone.Fresh
exposures
of shaleare found only in roadcuts.
Lateral variability is the rule rather than the
exception;individualbedsaredifficult to trace
for any distance.In somehorizonsthe change
from one rock type to another occurs over
severalhundredto severalthousandfeet. The
exposedthicknessof the Sangrede Cristo Formationis approximately3,400ft.
Tnlnssrc-Rocks of Triassicagecrop out in
the northern part o[ the basin on the north
bank of American Creek and may occur as
isolatedoutcropsat a few localitiesnorth of
AmericanCreek,probablyoverlyingPermian
rocks. The only beds exposedare correlated
with the Sonta Rosa Sandstone (Upper
Triassic)and consistof interbeddedlight-gray
and buff to
limestonepebble conglomerates
yellow-graysandstone.The limestonepebble
conglomerates
are light gray to gray, crossbedded,with rounded,worn pebblesof limestone and shale in a matrix of very slightly
sandy, sparry limestone. Thickness ranges
from 18to 2l ft.
The sandstonesare buff to yellow gray,
crossbedded,
coarseto fine grained, slightly
calcareous,feldspathicand are locally flaggy.
Thicknessrangesfrom 5 to 22 ft. The Santa
Rosa is approximately65 ft thick whereexposed.
Cruozorc-Rocks of Cenozoicageinclude:
of Pliocene(?) age.
l) A volcanicsequence
2) Valley-fill depositswhoseageis indeterminate,but post-volcanic.
3) Alluvium of Holoceneage.
The volcanicrocks include basalt flows and
an ash-flow crystal tuff. The flows cover
much of the highland area east of the valley
and overlieboth the Sangrede Cristo Formation and the Precambrian.Agua Fria Peak is
probably a vent or neara vent inasmuchas the
topographicposition of the basalt suggests
that the basaltic lava flowed away from the
peak, probably reachingas far as OcateMesa.
The ash-flow tuff is a white to light-gray,
unweldedto slightly welded,lithic crystal tuff
composed of sanidine crystals and biotite
fragments in a glass matrix with occasional
quartzgrains.The biotite flakesgivethe tuff a
salt-and-pepperappearance;the biotite con-
tent increasesfrom north to south. In the
southeastcornerof the basin,the tuff contains
lithic fragmentsof Precambriangranitegneiss
and purple sandstoneof the Sangrede Cristo
Formation.The ash-flowtuff is locally 1,000
ft thick.
The basaltflows are black,hard, dense,and
vesicular,with aggregates
of olivine, magnetite, and biotite. Feldsparsare not apparentin
specimensexaminedunder a hand lens. The
basaltsflow from the crestof Agua Fria Peak
in all directionsand form a basalt-capped
mesabetweenWestAgua Fria Creekand Saladon Creek. The combined thicknessof the
basaltflows averages900 ft.
The valley-fill depositsinclude a variety of
sedimentsthat haveaccumulatedin structural
Bedsor lensesof
and topographicdepressions.
clay,silt, sand,and gravelareintimatelyinterbedded.Claysare light brown to gray, slightly
sandyand occasionallygravelly.Siltsaregray
to gray brown, slightly micaceous,slightly
feldspathic,and are the leastcommon of the
fill materials.Sandsaregray to brown, fine to
very coarsegrained,with variablematrix. Individual grains are quartz and fragmentsof
feldspar,basalt,granitegneiss,and limestone.
Gravelsare light brown to gray brown and
consistof pebblesof quartzite,granitegneiss,
schist, limestone,sandstone,basalt, crystal
tuff, and occasionalpiecesof siltstoneand
pegmatite.Thicknessof the valleyfill deposits
rangesto more than 420 ft.
Alluvium consistsof sand, silt, and gravel
that forms stream-beddepositsas well as bar
depositsalong the banksof the presentdrainages.Sandsare mediumto coarsegrainedand
silty; gravels contain medium-sizedpebbles
and are sandy; silts are slightly sandy and
slightly clayey. Lithologiesof the pebblesin
the gravelsaresimilarto thoseof the valleyfill
becauseof stream erosion of the nearby
valley-fill terraces.Alluvium has a maximum
thicknessofabout l5 ft.
Structuralgeology
The Sangrede Cristo Mountainsare broadly archedwith a slight asymmetryto the east;
the westernboundaryof the mountainsis defined by normal faulting and sometear faulting that brings older rocks into contactwith
Tertiary volcanics and valley fill of the Rio
Grande rift. The easternedge is marked by
reverse faulting, low-angJe thrust faulting,
normal faulting, and folding. The Moreno
Valley coversan areanear the easternflank of
the Sangrede Cristo Mountainswithin a zone
of considerable structural complexity. Volcanism in the Red River area extendssouthward along portions of the easternmostridges
of the Sangrede Cristo Mountains, concealing
pars of the complexstructure(Clark, 1966).
PnEceMsnreN DEFoRMATtoN-Weakly
foliated granite gneissand an incomplete sequenceof folded metasedimentsprovide evidence of Precambrian deformation in the
basin. Relict bedding in the metasedimentsis
parallelto the foliation ofthe granitegneiss;a
north-northweststrike with a northeastdip is
the usual orientation, although marked di(continued
onpage13,
NewMexico GeologJ
February 1980
that drive the thermal transport processeswithin
coal blocks,Masstransferis initially limited by the
relativelylow permeabilityof the naturally occurring
material. Pore geometriesin coal suggestthat mass
transfer channelsare near 50 nm. Thesepores are
typically filled by absorbed moisture; moisture
removal changes permeability by 102.s. Once
moistureis removed,other absorbedgases,CH4,
CO2, etc., flush from the interior volume. These
combinedgases,during the drying steps,control
preliminary heat transfer. Modeling studiessuggest
that heat transfer mechanismsswitch from conduction to convectionas permeabilityis changedfrom
0.01 md to 5 md, those variations in masstransfer
resistanceformed during coal drying. Resultsthat
predict heat transfer rates in blocks of subbituminouscoalsduring the initial drying stagesof
in situ processingare described.(ERA citation
03:0421
l9)
water chemistry study of thermal and nonthermal
waters in Dofla Ana County, (2) a reconnaissance
water chemistrystudy of the hot springsof southwest New Mexico, and (3) a detailed gravity and
magnetic study of the Lightning Dock KGRA
(Known CeothermalResourceArea) in the Animas
Valleyof southwest
New Mexico,
chronologyhas not beendone. Of the several
dated eventsabove,it is impossibleto determine which may be represented
by the Cieneguilla Creek Precambrianrock sequence;at
leasttwo arepresent.
Mgsozolc-CENozorc DEFoRMATToNDeformation began with the Laramide
GeorgEnvnr AppLlcATIoNFEAstBtLtrysruDy FoR Orogeny in latest Mesozoic time and continued intermittently throughout the CenorHE NEw Mexrco Srern UNrvpnsrTyCAMpus,D/
Narendro N. Gunaji, Edward F. Thode, Lokehs
zoic. Initially, broad open folding of late
Chaturvedi, Arun Walvekar, and Leo LaFrance,
Paleozoicand Mesozoicsedimentswas the
New Mexico Energy Institute, Las Cruces, NM,
principal deformational pattern. As east-west
1978, 127 p., NMEI-|3 PB-295 846,/OWE Price
compressionincreased,faulting becamemore
code:PC A07/MF A0l
pronouncedand high-anglereverseand lowThe presentproject exploring the use of geotheranglethrust faults wereformed. During Cenomal energyon campuswas promptd by the belief,
based on geochemicalsurvey, that a substantial zoic time normal faulting with north-southas
well as northwest-southeastand northeastgeothermalresourceexistson NMSU property, not
southwesttrendswas dominant.The southern
far from the main campus.The purposeof the projELncrntclry FRoM Hor DRy RocK GEoTHERMAL
ect wasto betterdefine the potential resourceand to
end of the basin exhibits the most complex
ENERGY:
TECHNICAL
ANDEcoNoMrctssUes,by J, W. examine alternativesfor its use from a technical- deformation(fie. l).
Tester,G. E. Morris, R, G. Cammings,and R. L. economicstandpoint.
ForolNc.-Folding is not pronounced.
Bivins,Los Alamos ScientificLab., NM, 1979,27p.
Anticlines and synclineseast of Cieneguilla
LA-7603-MSPn'cecode:PC A03/MF A0I
AN appnatselsruDyoFTHEGEoTHERMAL
RESouRcEs
Creekare broad, open folds with minimum reExtraction of energy from hot dry rock would op AntzoNeANDADJACENT
AREAS
IN Npw Mpxrco
lief; the anticlinesand synclinesare minor
make availablea nearly unlimited energysource. NNOUTEH AND THEIRVALUEFORDESALINATION
AND
flexuresin the Moreno Valley synclinorium,
Some technicalproblems and possibleeconomic oTHER usES, by Chandler A. Swanberg, Paul
tradeoffs involved in a power generatingsystemare Morgan, Chorles H. Stoyer, and Jam6 C, Witcher,
as suggestedby Ray and Smith (1941).The
examinedand possiblesolutionsproposed.An inter- New Mexico Energt Institute, Las Cruces, NM,
synclinesare filled in part by volcanics(basalt
temporaloptimizationcomputermodelof electricity 1977, 98 p. NMEI-61 P8.295 t59/3WE Price code:
and ash-flow tuff) from Agua Fria Mountain
production from a hot dry rock geothermalsource rc AO,/MF AOl
and in part by Quaternarydepositsof sand,
has beenconstructed.Effectsof reservoirdegradaThis report is an appraisal investigation of the gravel, and slope debris. Small folds assocition, variablefluid flow rate,and drillingoperations geothermalresourcesof a ponion of the Lower
ated with thrust faulting on the west side of
are examined to determine optimal strategiesfor Colorado River Region of the U.S. Bureau of
the valley were mapped.We recognizedstrucreservoirmanagementand necessaryconditions for Reclamation.The study area includes most of
tural terraces and overturned bedding in
economicfeasibiliry.@RA citation04:029813)
Arizona, part of western New Mexico west of the
conlinentaldivide,and a smallpart ofsouthwestern several places, but tracing structures along
Ttvr poverN suRvEyoF rug Los Alavos REctoN, Utah. Almost 300water sampleshavebeencollected strike is difficult due to excessive
tree cover
Npw MExrco, by Williston, McNeil and Associates, from the study areaand chemicallyanalyzed.
and forest litter. Somestructural featurescan
Inc., Lakewood, CO, 1979,52p. LA-7657-MSPrice
be traced becauseof streetdevelopmentin the
code:PC AM/MFA0l
GEorecHNtcalsruDIEsoF cEoTHERMAL
REsERvotRs,Angel Fire propertiesarea.
A time domain electromagnetic
soundingsurvey by H. R, Prott and E. R. Simonson,Terra Tek, Inc.,
Feulrrnc.-Faulting in the southernpart of
of the region surrounding the city of Los Alamos, Salt Lake Cily, UT, 1976, 56 p. Microfiche copies
CieneguillaCreek drainagebasin is intense.
New Mexico, was carriedout. Resultsshow that a only. TID-2t703 Price code: MF A0l
Threetypesare evident:the oldest,high-angle
linear trough, trending northeast-southwestnrns
It is proposedto delineatethe important factorsin
beneaththe city. The southern boundary is some- the geothermalenvironmentthat will affectdrilling. reverseor low-anglethrust faults; intermediwhat to the southof the city, the northernboundary The geologicenvironmentof the particular areasof
ate age normal faults, and younger transverse
was not established.The geoelectricsectionconsists interestare described,including rock types,geologic faults.
of threelayers;the total thickness
of the sectionis in stnrcture,and other important parametersthat help
High-angleand low-anglereversefaults are
excessof 3,000m. Resistivities
of the secondlayer describethe reservoir and overlying caprock. The
confinedto a lVz- to 2-mile-widezonein the
areaslow as2.5 omegam. If the salinitiesarein the geologic environment and reservoir characteristics
southwesternpart of the basin. The zone
regionof 7,000ppm, the resistivities
could indicate of severalgeothermalareaswere studied, and drill
partially
that water with a temperatureof 150.C may be cuttingswere obtained from most of the areas.The strikesin a northerly direction and is
found at a depth of 3,000 m. (ERA cirarion 04: geothermalareasstudiedwere: (l) Geysers,CA, (2) concealedby valley fill (fig. 2). Clark (1966)
029773)
Imperial Valley, CA, (3) Roosevelt Hot Springs, recognizedsimilar structuresin the samerelaUT, (4) Baca Ranch, Valle Grande, NM, (5) Jemez tive positionnorth of the basin.In addition, a
Dnra acqursrrtoN FoR ruE Hor Dny Rocr Geo Caldera,NM, (6) Raft River, ID, and (7) Marysville, complex structural zone between Mora and
T1TERMAL
EtEncy PnoJEcr,by R. C. Lawton and E. MT. (ERA citation 04:029E19)
Las Vegasmay be a similar southerncontinuaH. Horton, Los Alamos ScientificLab., NM, 1979,
tion.
7 p. CONF-79050J-2LA-UR-79-tl2 Price code: FC
Normal faults are best exposedin the eastAO2/MFAOT
Glenegullla
Creek
ern half of the valley.Previouswork north of
The data acquisitionsystemfor rhe Hot Dry Rock (continuedlrompoge
3)
evithe basinby Clark (1966)and geophysical
GeothermalEnergyProject at FentonHill, in northern New Mexico, has evolved to a computer- vergences occur where metasedimentsare dence obtained from seismic reflection lines
run by CharlesReynoldsand Associates,Inc.
controlled systemcompletewith visual displaysand strongly folded.
emergencyalarms. The systemis comprisedof two
Exposuresare poor and age relationships (1978) suggest normal faulting is present
units. One unit monitors all surface facilities and are obscure
although most data suggestinva- throughoutthe valley rather than being conduring an energyextractionexperimentis on{ine 24
sion
of
the
metasediments
by the graniteprior fined to a particular area. The normal faults
hours a day. The other systemis usedfor specialized
to
the
last
Precambrian
metamorphism.The strike in a northerly direction similar to the
downholeexperiments.The data acquisitionsystern
olderreverseor thrust faults.
is operator oriented so that a minimum crew can age of the Precambrianrock deformationin
Transversefaults strike transverselyacross
the
Picuris
area
southwest
of
Moreno
Valley
is
maintain the system.(EltA citation 04:036208)
estimatedat 1.3 b.y. (billion years)by Miller the valley either west-northwest or eastGBotgnnuaL sruDIEslN sourHwEsr Npw Mpxtco,
and others(1963);severalPrecambrianevents northeast, and are found throughout the
by Chandler A. Swanberg, New Mexico Energt Inin the Sangrede Cristo Mountains are dated drainage basin; they disappear along the
stitute, Las Cruces, NM, 1976, 69 p. NMEI-3
between8@ million and I.7 b.y. (Callendar, southernboundary of the mappedarea. Their
P&295 t36,/lWE Price code:PC AU/MFALI
Robertson,and Brookins, 1976),Precambrian movementsare usuallynormal, but they differ
The researchconsistsof threeparts: (l) a detailed
IF
exposuresin the basin are limited and geoNew Mexico Geolog:l
February1980
faults. Clark (1966)noted that the principal Cristo. This juxtaposition representsa stratift. Other such
trend directions for normal faulting north of graphicthrow of 10,000-12'000
the basin zre east-northeastand north- faults havedisplacementsfrom severaltensof
northeast-closely paralleling observed feetto severalhundredsof feet.
.
5'ooo
The transversefaults are well defined and
ffendsin the basinproper.
Stratigraphic throws along the normal may be traced for severaltens of miles before
o'
faults range from a few tensof feet to several being intersectedby another fault or having
hundredsof feet.Normal faultscut both folds magma intruded along them during a post-5,0o0
and reversefaults along the westernsideof the faultingperiodof volcanism.
faultsarethe youngestofthe
The transverse
basin as well as slightly deformed to undeA-B AcRoss formed strata in the centraland easternpart.
sEcrIoN
FIGURE2-GEoloctc cRoss
faulting events,cutting both the thrust faults
CrpNecullleCnrEr.
Displacement along the normal faults and the normal faults. The transversefaults
causesoversteepeningof the valley walls exerta pronouncedcontrol on tributarydrainfrom the northerly striking normal faults in
resulting in large and small landslide failures age patternsto CieneguillaCreek, more so
and large slump blocksthat obscurethe bed- than the normal faulting or thrust faulting.
that relativemovementis not exclusivelydip
slip. The net slip is a different direction and rock relations.Seismicreflectiondataand test Somespringsare locatedalong the strikesof
magnitudefor each fault. Interrelationships drilling verify the landslide block interpreta- the transversefaults, but only where such a
fault intersects either a normal fault or a
of thesefault typescontributeto the shapeand tion.
thrust
fault.
is
diffaults
normal
basin.
on
individual
of
the
Throw
size
due to slumpingof the faulted
Rrvense reulrs-High-angle reversefaults
ficult to assess
Geologichistory
predominatealthougha few low-anglethrust beds and extreme lateral variability in the
recordedin the basinare
events
The
earliest
faults have been mapped. Older Pennsylva- Sangrede Cristo Formation where normal
nian and Mississippianmarine sedimentary faulting is best exposed.Clark (1966)reports the depositionof largequantitiesof quartzose
rocks are thrust over younger Pennsylvanian vertical displacementsfrom a few feet to as and feldspathic sandstones,and interbedded
continen- high as 9,000 ft on the eastern side of the shalesand siltstonesduring middle Precammarineand Permian-Pennsylvanian
of thesesediments
tal sedimentaryrocks (fie. 2). The faults dip
Moreno Valley north of the basin. Seismic brian time. The provenance
45o to 65o west.
reflection data suggestdisplacementsof a few is unknown and exposuresare so limited that
Stratigraphic throws on individual faults feet to severalhundred feet in the southern their sourcedirectionis indeterminate.
Following the accumulationof the sediof
rangefrom severaltensof feet to severalhun- part of the map area.Major displacements
dredsof feet. Throws of severalthousandfeet 5,000ft or more havenot beendemonstrated ments, regional stressesresultedin a widehave beenestimatednorth of the map area by
on the normal faults althougha displacement spread, intense orogeny. Activity probably
(1966).
We cannot confirm such dis- of twice that magnitudeis calculatedfor one beganbetween1.3 and 1.7 b.y. ago and conClark
tinued nearly to the end of the Precambrian.
placements in the Cieneguilla Creek area of the transverse
faults.
becauseof lack of outcrops, although fault
A numberof normal faults are continuous This period of deformation produceda metatracesare visible on low-altitude air photos or
for severalmiles along their strike. One such morphic grain which remains recognizable
on obliquecolor photosof the westsideof the
fault is cut off by the SaladonCreek fault in today.
The metamorphismchangedthe quartzose
valley taken from mountainson the eastside. the northernpart of the map area(fig. l). Infeldspathic sandstonesto micaceous
and
horizons
We inferredthe positionof somethrust faults adequateoutcropsand lack of key
by examiningthe westernside of the valley prevent identification of the normal faults quartzite and pure quartzite; convertedthe
and noting changesin soil color associated within the Precambrianbasementrock; thus siltstonesto gneissicquartzite;and the shales
with changesin topography.Seismicreflection their relationto earlierstructuresis unknown. to sillimaniteand ferro-tremolitemica schist.
Inc.
linesby CharlesReynoldsand Associates,
The broad outlinesof the valleyare relatedto Similarlithologictypesare describedby Clark
(1966)in the regionnorth of the mappedarea.
yield data in good agreement
with the inferred normal faultingin the lateTertiary.
During this orogenic event, granite was inslumping
fault positions. We calculatedan apparent
Normal faultingand its associated
creatingzones
of 1,000ft for one createperviouschannelsand imperviousbar- trudedinto the metasediments,
stratigraphicdisplacement
Continuing
the
contacts.
migmatite
along
of
of
geophysical
the
areas
in
inferred fault. Topography and
riers. Springsand bogs occur
data suggesta substantialbrecciazonealong greatestdisturbance-usuallywithin several stressafter intrusionimparteda mild foliation
tens of feet of the surfacetrace of the fault to the graniteparallelto relict beddingin the
the slippageplane.
A thrust fault exposedalong road cuts in
and/or nearthe toe of a slumpblock. In most metasediments.
Evidencefor earlyPaleozoicdeposition,upwith a fault'
Palo Flechado Pass reveals a considerable caseswherea slumpis associated
amount of brecciationas well as overturning springsare found nearthe fault ratherthan at lift, and erosionis not present,but by earliest
of brittle limestoneand calc-argillitebeds. the toe of the slump block. Normal faulting Mississippiantime a broad surfacehad been
for the locations cut acrossthe old Precambrianterrain, allowSimilar brecciationand overturningof beds and slumpingare responsible
The majority ing depositionof a shallowmarine limestone
places
basin.
alongthe southwestern of nearlyall springsin the
occursin several
sideof the basin.
of the springsare in the southernmostpart of sequence.Subsequently,the Mississippian
Nonunl FAUL.ts-Normal faults are high
the map areaand drain into severalof the trib- limestonewas partially dissolved,producing
cavernsand a karst topography.Intermittent
utariesof CieneguillaCreek.
angle (dips >70"). Most common in the
and irregular depositionof clasticdebris on
transvalley,
and
their
abundance
TnaNswnse rnulrs-High-angle
easternhalf of the
steplikepatternresultin slumpingof portions versefaults cut the valley in three directions; the karst surfacecreateda seriesof compiex
and northeast-southwestdepositionalepisodestoward the end of the
of the basaltflows. Geophysicalevidencesug- northwest-southeast
geststhat normal faults are widelydistributed strikesare the most common, while an east- Mississippian.
Latest Mississippianor earliestPennsylvathroughout the valley rather than being con- west strike occasionallyoccurs in the southernmost part of the valley. The faults offset nian time is markedby an orogeniceventthat
fined to either side. Many of thesefaults are
obscuredby valley fill, landslide,or talus, the valley margins, creating a agzag pattern. produced numerous narrow mountain chains
although Clark (1966)reports faults cutting Dips of the transversefaults approach90o as and adjacent deep basins in Colorado and
determinedby surfacetrends and geophysical northern New Mexico. The Uncompahgrevalleyfill north of the mapilea.
San Luis element of the ancestral Rocky
data.
The normal faults strike northeast and
The transversefaults havepronouncedstra- Mountains supplieddetritus to the Pennsylvanorth-northeast nearly parallel to the thrust
fault zones found in the westernhalf of the
tigraphic throws; the Saladon Creek fault nian Rowe-Mora Basin, which includesthe
brings Precambrianbasementinto contact present Cieneguilla Creek drainage. Deposivalley. Seismicreflection data suggestthat
some normal faults may offset the thrust
with the Permian-PennsylvanianSangre de tional environmentswere fairly shallow and
,^ffi,
February 1980
NewMexico Geolo&,Jl
rapidly subsiding, allowing considerable
thicknessesof strata to accumulateduring the
Pennsylvanian.Abundant fauna preservedin
the Rowe-Mora Basin indicates ages from
Morrowan (Lower Pennsylvanian)to Upper
Des Moinesian (middle Upper Pennsylvanian). As depositioncontinuedinto late Pennsylvanian, the shoreline gradually moved
eastward toward the center of the basin;
howeverdeposition of continental strata continued without cessationfrom Upper Pennsylvanianthrough Permian. Severalhundreds
to thousands of feet of fluvial sands, silts,
shales,and gravels with some isolated lacustrine and lagoonal limestone deposits were
depositedthroughout most of the Permian.
Near the end of the Permian, deposition
ceasedand erosionof the continentaldeposits
began. TNs hiatus extended through latest
Permianand lowermostTriassic.
The first Mesozoicdeposits(Upper Triassic)
consistof sandstones,interbeddedlimestone
pebbleconglomerates,
and red-brownshales;
much of the material is derived from the
underlying Pennsylvanianand Permian strata
(Clark 1966).Intermittenterosionand deposition are reflected by disconformitiesthat
separateUpper Permian from Triassic,and
Triassicfrom Jurassicrocks. Upper Jurassic
bedsare, in turn, separatedfrom the Dakoto
Formation (Lower Cretaceous) by disconformity indicating a brief period of nondepositionand erosionprior to the Cretaceous
marinetransgression.
Cyclesof marinetransgressions
and regressions accumulateda considerablethicknessof
black shalewith some limestonebeds in the
Raton Basin,north and eastof the map area.
Toward the end of the Late Cretaceous,local
uplifts, possibleforerunners of the Laramide
Orogeny,expandedthe areasof the transgressive and regressivecycles, resulting in interbeddedblack shalesand gray to buff channel
sandstones.
Finally, the seawithdrewentirely,
depositingthe Trinidad Sandstoneas the last
regressive
unit.
The Laramide folding and upwarping that
marked the end of Cretaceoustime strongly
compressedthe basin into a seriesof westdipping thrustsand folds. As the orogenysubsided during the Eocene,erosionaccumulated
coarseclasticsin parts of the southernCieneguilla Creek drainagebasin. Sometimeduring
the Oligocenea greatperiod of volcanismand
intrusion began,extendingthrough the Mioceneand into the Pliocene.Numerousstocks
and batholiths were intruded and basalt,
rhyolite, and andesiteflows as well as tuffaceousmaterials were erupted to the north,
east,and southwestof the mappedarea. Normal and transverse faulting concurrently
formed the Rio Grandedepressionto the west
and displaced the earlier thrust and reverse
faulting in the CieneguillaCreek drainage
basin. Locally, Precambrianrocks were exposed by the faulting, their erosion contributingto the thicknesses
of alluvialfill.
Late in Pliocenetime, basaltflows formed
the resistantpeaksof Agua Fria Mountain as
well as extensivecover over adjacent areas;
Ocate Mesa and numeroussmallerlobes are
D. C., 1976,Summary of Precambriangeology
and geochronologyof nonheasternNew Mexico:
New Mexico GeologicalSociety,Guidebook 27th
field conference,p. 129-135
Clark, K. F., 1966,Geologyand ore depositsof the
Eagle Nest quadrangle, New Mexico: Ph.D.
thesis,Universityof New Mexico, 363p.
Goodknight,C. S., 1976,Cenozoicstructuralgeology of the Central Cimarron Range,New Mexico:
New Mexico GeologicalSociery,Guidebook 27th
p. 137-lztO
fieldconference,
Kudo, A. M., 1976,A reviewof the volcanichistory
and stratigraphy of northeasternNew Mexico:
New Mexico GeologicalSociety,Guidebook 27th
field conference,p. 109-ll0
Miller, J. P., Montgomery,A., and Sutherland,P.
K., 1963,Geologyof part of the southernSangre
de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico: New Mexico
Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources,Mem.
ll,106p.
Ray, L. L., and Smith,J. F., Jr., 1941,Geologyof
the Moreno Valley, New Mexico: Geological
Societyof AmericaBull., v. 52,p. l'17-210
Robinson,G. D., Wanek,A. A., Hays,W. H., and
McCallum,M. 8., 1964,PhilmontCountry-the
rocks and landscapeof a famous New Mexico
ranch: U.S. GeologicalSuney, Prof. Paper 505,
References
152p.
Armstrong,
A. K., 1955,Preliminary
observationsSmith,J. F., Jr., and Ray, L. L., 1943,Geologyof
on the Mississippian
Systemof northernNew
the Cimarron Range, New Mexico: Geological
Mexico:NewMexicoBureauof MinesandMinSocietyof America,Bull., 54,p.891-924
eralResources,
Circ.39,42p.
Thompson, M, L., 1942, Pennsylvaniansystemin
Baltz,E. H., and Read,C. B., 1960,Rocksof
New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and
Mississippian
and probableDevonianage in
Bull. 17,92 p.
MineralResources,
Sangrede Cristo Mountains, New Mexico: Wanek,A. A., and Read,C. 8., 1956,Taosto Eagle
AmericanAssociationof PetroleumGeologists, Nest and Elizabethtown:New Mexico Geological
Bull.,v. 44,p. 1749-1774
Society,Guidebook7th field conference,p. E2-93
remnantsof this former flow sheet.During
this time, the CieneguillaCreekdrainagewas
part of the south-flowing Coyote Creek
system.
During the Pleistocene,headwarderosion
of Cimarron Creek disrupted the upper
Coyote Creek drainage pattern. Cimarron
Creek captured the flow of upper Coyote
Creek, diverting it northward to form the
presentbasin. Three periodsof stability during the loweringof baselevel for Cieneguilla
Creek createdterrace levelswhich can still be
identifiedin the CieneguillaCreekdrainage.
Clark (1966) reported Pleistoceneglacial
depositionnorth of the mappedarea around
WheelerPeak. Glaciationmay have contributed to the sedimentationhistory of ttte northern half of the Moreno Valley (Clark, 1966).
Evidenceof glacial activity is not discernible
in the basin.The presentbasinis the resultof
continued adjustment to the base level of
CieneguillaCreekand the drainagesystemof
the CimarronRiver.
Callender,
J. F., Robertson,
J. M., andBrookins,
Anoccurrence
ofredberyl
NewMexico
intheBlackRangen
b y F r a n k S . K i m b l e r a n d P a t r i c k E . H a y n e s , P . 0 . B o x 2 4 3 9 , C a m p8u7s8S0t a
1t i o n , S o c o
A locality for red beryl in rhyolite was
found on May 23,1979by P. E. Hayneswhile
prospectingfor the Virgin Mining Company.
The locality, on the west side of the Black
Rangein the Gila National Forest of northwesternSierraCounty, New Mexico,hasbeen
namedthe BerylliumVirgin prospect.
Generalgeologyand structure
The rocks in the region, mid-Tertiary or
younger, are comprised of rhyolite, basalt
flows, and clastic sediments.Of primary interestare extensiveoutcropsof flow-layered,
purple-brown to pink, porphyritic rhyolite.
Phenocrysts are abundant, accounting for
about40 percentof the rock. Oneto threepercentof the rhyolite consistsof vesicleswhich,
in part, are lined with severaloxide and silicate minerals, including beryl (Fries and
others, 1942;Lufkin, 1972).
The porphyriticrhyolite is cut by numerous
north-trending fissures;rocks adjacent to the
fissures are highly fractured. These fissures
and fracturezonesprovideda channelfor escapingvaporsduring the cooling of the lava.
These gaseousemanationswere responsible
for muchof themineralizationin thearea.
The Beryllium Virgin prospect, in sec. 22,
T. l0 S., R. I I W., SierraCounty, New Mexico, has at least two distinct north-trending
fracture zones. Both are mineralizedand run
parallel to one another; each has its own distinct mineral assemblage.
Mlneralogy
Red beryl occursin the fracture zoneon the
eastside of the mining claim. A more highly
mineralizedzone, devoid of beryl, lies on the
western side of the claim. Adjacent to this
zone are veins of massivehematite that contain crystalline grains of bixbyite and cassiterite. The following descriptionscover the
characteristicsand associations of the different minerals of interest found at the
BerylliumVirgin prospect.
Bpnyr--BesAlr(SicO,e)-The red beryl
from the Black Range of New Mexico is the
third known source for red beryl found in
rhyolite. Specimensfrom two other localities,
the Thomas Rangeand the Wah Wah Mountains in Utah, have larger, more colorful, and
more abundant crystals. Microprobe analysis
of the Utah crystals(Nassauand Wood, 1968)
New Mexico Geolog:t
February 1980